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362 THE MARINE REVIEW This agreement as well as the mem- oranda for cantonment construction for the army and navy constitute gratifying progress in providing agencies for assuring justice to war work. “To complete the entire program, this should be supplemented by a sim- ilar provision for production of muni- tions and war supplies.” Agree on War Wages At a conference held at Washington, an agreement was reached between rep- resentatives of the Atlantic steamship lines and the organized seamen, in co- operation with the United States ship- -ping board, the department of labor, and the department of commerce, pro- viding for the scale of wages to be paid by substantially all of the lines and initiating certain other measures which are intended to increase the number of seamen in service. The representatives of the steamship companies and of the organized seamen agreed with the shipping board that such action ought to be taken in order to furnish men for the vessels engaged ‘in trade with England and France and carrying supplies to those countries, while at the same time continuing an uninterrupted coastwise trade. The measures that- were tentatively adopted under the agreement to co-operate for the attainment of this end were: That the steamship companies shall pay the following wages: Sailors and firemen, $60 per month; coal passers, $50; oilers and water tenders, $65; boatswains, $70; carpenters, $75; over- time pay for cargo work, 50 cents, and for ship work 40 cents per hour; bonus ‘going to the war zone, 50 per cent of the wages, wages and bonus to continue until crew arrives back in the United States; and $100 compensation for loss of effects’ caused by war conditions. The scale of wages and bonus for cooks and stewards at present in force to be maintained and continued during the continuance of this agreement. That a certain number of boys, to be determined by the number of men car- ried, shall be employed in addition to the usual crew, and that a number of ordinary seamen shall be employed in a similar fixed proportion to the number of able seamen. A vessel now carry- ing eight men on deck would carry six able seamen, two ordinary seamen, and two boys, such ordinary seamen and boys to have ample opportunity to learn the work usually demanded of able sea- men. That the representatives of the organ- ized seamen shall have access to and be permitted on docks and vessels during reasonable hours. The representatives of the seamen tentatively agree to join with the ship- owners in an appeal to seamen now em- ployed on shore to come back to the sea. That the bonus and other conditions arising from the war shall terminate with the war, and that the wages set shall remain for one year, to the end that wages may be stabilized and that the men now on shore may be induced to return to the sea. - That the seamen will use earnest ef- forts in co-operation with the officers to teach seamanship to the boys and ordinary seamen. The representatives of the shipping companies at the conference were H. H. Raymond, of the Atlantic, Gulf & West Indies Steamship Lines; P. A. S. Frank- lin, of the International Mercantile Ma- rine; Frank C. Munson, of the Mun- son Line; Ernest M. Bull, of the Bull Line; L. H. Sherman, of the Grace Line; and D. T. .Warden, of the Standard Oil Co. Commissioner Cham- berlain represented the bureau of navigation. The representatives of the organized seamen were President An- drew Furuseth, of the International un- ion, H. P. Griffin, G. H. Brown, Oscar Carlson, Dan Ingraham, and P. J. Pryor. It was announced at the conference that the agreement had been put to the vote of the unions and ratified by their membership. August Lake Levels The United States lake survey rfe- ports the stages of the Great Lakes for the month of- August, 1917, as follows: Ft. above mean sea level Lakes July August Sibel glakah Mana eeENO EAH hehe rest 602.65 602.69 Michigan-Huron ......... 581.95 581.90 Ste Clan ie a ateiie ne eh eiece 576.72 576.62 Brie ya ae eee 573.86 573.57 Ontario sec eee eet 247.46 247 .35 Lake Superior is 0.04 foot higher than last month, 1.00 foot lower than a year ago, 0.05 foot above the average stage of August of the last 10 years, 1.24 feet below the high stage of August, 1876, and 1.09 feet above the low stage of August, 1879. During the last 10 years the August level has averaged 0.2 foot higher than the July level and 0.1 foot lower than the September level. Lakes Michigan-Huron are 0.05 foot lower than last month, 0.85 foot high- er than a year ago, 1.10 feet above the average stage of August of the last 10 years, 1.61 feet below the high stage of August, 1876, and 2.05 feet above the low stage of August, 1911. During the last 10 years the August level has averaged about the same as the July level and 0.2 foot higher than the September level. Lake Erie is 029 foot lower than last month, 0.75 foot higher than a year ago, 0.95 foot above the average stage of August of the last 10 years, 0.54 foot below the high stage of August, 1876, and 2.19 feet above the low stage of August, 1895. During the last 10 years the August level has averaged 0.2 foot lower than the July level and 0.3 foot higher than the September level. Lake Ontario is 0.11 foot lower than last month, 0.01 foot lower than a year ago, 0.75 foot above the aver- age stage of August of the last 10 years, 0.91 foot below the high stage of August, 1862, and 3.00 feet above the low stage of August, 1895. Dur- ing the last 10 years the August level has averaged 0.3 foot lower than the July level and 0.4 foot higher than the September level. Equipment for Ships En- tering War Zone On account of the special dangers to inspected passenger and freight steam vessels of the United States from torpedo attacks in the war zone when vessels are quickly sunk and, in consequence, the necessity for a larger equipment of lifeboats and life rafts, and a larger supply of food and provisions to be carried in life- boats, the executive committee of the board of supervising inspectors, steam- boat inspection service, at a meeting held recently, adopted rules applying to such inspected steam vessels of the United States entering the war zone. The rules read as follows: Lifeboats and Provision The capacity of lifeboats shall here- -after be determined by an allowance of 15 cubic feet for each person car- ried instead of 10 cubic feet, as here- tofore. In addition to the equipment already required in lifeboats, there shall be provided a hand pump with a plunger of not less than 2 inches in diameter, and a discharge pipe of sufficient celine to reach clear of the boat’s side. The food or provisions required to be carried in lifeboats may be hard bread or the United States army emergency ration. Food which pro- duces unusual or immoderate _ thirst, such as corned beef, salt fish, etc., will not be allowed under any cir- cumstances as lifeboat provisions. When hard bread only is carried in the lifeboat there must be provided in addition thereto at least 10 United States army emergency rations. Lifeboats on cargo steamers shall be provided with a separate set of. davits for each lifeboat required. When this requirement makes it necessary to install additional davits, it is rec- ommended that the additional davits be of the mechanical type, to facilitate quick and safe launching. The old type of davits with “turning-out gear” is not considered as mechanical davits. Cargo vessels shall carry sufficient October, 1917 oo Piles Riis - mS ee